In November, the Coos Index fell for the sixth month in a row on a monthly year-over-year basis, hitting the lowest point since the beginning of the latest recession. The recovery, which started since the mid-2009, lost steam in the second half of 2011. The downward trend is increasingly apparent in all but one component indicator; four out of five component indicators had persistently decreased in recent months on a year-over-year basis. The goods-producing activity, mostly manufacturing, were in decline; industrial electricity sales had decreased at an increasingly faster pace since May on a monthly year-over-year basis. The labor market never recovered from the latest recession; neither number of employed residents nor estimated wages and salaries had registered a year-over-year gain in 2011. The hospitality industry had been better off than other industries; estimated rooms and meals revenues surpassed the pre-recession level and kept rising, although average Saturday traffic counts remained stagnant. This New Year may be a better one, though, considering encouraging news from the Gorham area, such as the biomass plant construction and the reopened paper mill.

The economic recovery gained momentum in the State. The revised data showed that economic growth picked up pace for the first time since March on a monthly year-over-year basis. Three of five component indicators were up from prior year. The labor market continued to rebound; the monthly year-over-year growth rate of number of employed residents rose three months in a row after falling four straight months. However, the aggregate employment data may paint the picture better than it actually is. New Hampshire Employment Security reported that nearly half of the increase in jobs in November came from the accommodation and food services industry, where many jobs tend to be part-time. On the other hand, the higher-paying manufacturing industry lost jobs. This is consistent with one of the NCEI component indicators, industrial electricity sales, which declined two months in a row on a monthly year-over-year basis. The picture in the hospitality industry was mixed; estimated rooms and meals revenues posted a strong gain from a year earlier, while average Saturday traffic counts continued to decline.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.

In October, the Coos Index fell for the fifth month in a row on a monthly year-over-year basis. Three out of four available component indicators were down from prior year (October report for Saturday traffic counts has not been released yet). Estimated rooms and meals revenues series was the only indicator that was up from a year ago, indicative of a strong hospitality industry. However, stagnant Saturday traffic counts suggests otherwise. The mixed picture demonstrates that fewer tourists brought in more revenues and that there has been a shift to high end market in the region’s hospitality industry. It may also suggest struggling smaller players, which cater to low to middle income tourists. The County’s other indicators continued on the downward trend. In particular, industrial electricity sales saw a steep decline, indicative of the struggling manufacturing sector. The labor market showed no signs of improvement; both number of employed residents and estimated wages and salaries kept on falling on a year-over-year basis. The Index was computed assuming no change in Saturday vehicle traffic counts from September.

The State economy fared better. Its monthly year-over-year growth rate increased for the first time since March. Three of four available indicators were up from prior year. The labor market showed signs of improvement; the monthly year-over-year growth rate of number of employed residents rose two months in a row after falling four straight months. The hospitality industry seemed to have done better as well; estimated rooms and meals revenues remained up from a year earlier. However, the manufacturing sector contracted; the monthly year-over-year growth of industrial electricity sales fell for the first time since the end of the latest recession. The weakening manufacturing sector became a drag on the economy.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.

In September, the aggregate economic activity continued to decline in the County. The Coos Index fell for the fourth month in a row on a monthly year-over-year basis. Four out of five component indicators were down from prior year. Estimated rooms and meals revenues series was the only indicator that was up from where it stood a year earlier. However, it too showed signs of slowing down. Estimated rooms and meals revenues posted month-to-month declines for the second consecutive month. It may have to do with BALSAMS’s early seasonal closure in September due to the proposed sales agreement. There were no signs of improvement in the labor market; number of employed residents and estimated wages and salaries continued to decline on a monthly year-over-year basis. The manufacturing sector wasn’t an exception; industrial electricity sales kept on falling on a monthly year-over-year basis. This month report includes average Saturday vehicle traffic counts thanks to the timely publication of the data. We sincerely appreciate the cooperation from the new Commissioner and staff members of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

According to the revised data with the inclusion of the traffic counts, the State economy showed signs of stabilization in September. Its monthly year-over-year growth rate remained at 0.8%, the pace of growth in prior month, after falling five months in a row. All but one indicator increased on a monthly year-over-year basis. Most notably, the labor market exhibited some encouraging signs; the monthly year-over-year growth rate of the number of employed residents picked up pace for the first time in five months. However, the overall economic picture was far from spectacular. The manufacturing activity continued to slow; industrial electricity sales growth nearly came to a halt. The picture in the hospitality sector is mixed; estimated rooms and meals registered a modest gain while traffic counts fell. All in all, the state economy remained on a growth path; but it was a fragile one.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.

In August, the economic picture changed little for Coos County. Coos Index fell for the third month in a row on a monthly year-over-year basis. Three out of four available component indicators fell on a monthly year-over-year basis. The hospitality sector remained as the only bright spot; estimated rooms and meals revenue remained up from the prior year. However, the storyline remained little changed for the rest of the economy. The labor market continued to struggle; both indicators – the number of employed residents and estimated wages and salaries – were down from prior year. The manufacturing activity remained sluggish; industrial electricity sales dropped three straight months on a monthly year-over-year basis. August data for average Saturday traffic counts has yet to be released by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. So the Indexes were constructed assuming no change from July in the variable.

The State economy fared better in August than in recent months. The pace of increases in the State Index stopped declining after falling four months in a row. The rebounding hospitality sector offset the slowing the manufacturing activity. The hospitality sector exhibited a strong comeback; estimated rooms and meals revenues grew at increasingly faster rates on a monthly year-over-year basis since May when its growth nearly came to a halt. The picture in the labor market was mixed; the monthly year-over-year growth of employed residents slowed to a crawl, while that of estimated wages and salaries remained strong. These two indicators track different segments of the labor market. The latter represents total compensation paid by the employers that are covered under the federal and state unemployment insurance laws. Changes in wages are due largely to fluctuations in employment. However, the data excludes the self-employed, domestic help, proprietors, all of which are tracked by the number of employed residents. The conflicting reports, therefore, may reflect struggles in many small businesses rather than larger firms.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.

The previous June report incorrectly stated the number of employed residents in Coos County, which was caused by a data entry error. The loss in the number of employed residents in the County was about 100 in June, instead of 1000. Consequently, the report overstated the decline in the County Index. Nonetheless, the corrected data showed that the storyline remained the same; the recovery continued to fade away. In July, instead of June as previously reported, the Coos economy declined for the first time since the end of the recession on a monthly year-over-year basis. The labor market continued to struggle; the number of employed residents had fallen faster on a monthly year-over-year basis. So did estimated wages and salaries. The decline in the manufacturing activity became increasingly regular; industrial electricity sales contracted two straight months on a monthly year-over-year basis. The hospitality sector appeared to be the only bright spot in the County economy; estimated rooms and meals revenue was the only indicator that was up from prior year. July data for average Saturday traffic counts has yet to be released by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. So the Indexes were constructed assuming no change in the variable.

In New Hampshire, the economic recovery continued to slow down. The State Index fell from prior month and, on a monthly year-over-year basis, the pace of its growth declined for the fourth month in a row. The manufacturing sector appeared to be slowing; the monthly year-over-year growth in industrial electricity sales kept falling. The State’s labor market seemed to be heading south as well, the number of employed residents in the State contracted three months in a row on a month-to-month basis. Although it remained up from prior year, its year-over-year growth rate slid for the third consecutive month. Historically in New Hampshire, persistent and pronounced declines in the number of employed residents (12 month percent changes) tend to precede job losses and recession. Should this downward trend in the number of employed residents continue and fall into a negative territory on a year-over-year basis, the State may become vulnerable to a double dip recession.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.

In June, the Coos economy set a new low. The Index declined for the first time since the end of the past recession on a monthly year-over-year basis. Four out of the five component indicators were down from prior year. The manufacturing sector contracted; industrial electricity sales fell down from prior year for the first time since March 2010. The rebounding hospitality sector struggled as well; average Saturday traffic counts had fallen at a faster clip for the last four months, while the year-over-year growth rate of estimated rooms and meals revenue edged down three months in a row. But, it was the struggling labor market that was the biggest drag on the economy. The number of employed residents, after seasonal adjustment, plunged to 13,897 from 14,879 in May. The estimated loss of nearly a thousand employed residents in the County comprised nearly half of the total estimated loss in New Hampshire, which lost 2,090 employed residents during the same period. It remains to be seen whether this is only a temporary statistical fluke. The number of recalled workers in the reopened Gorahm mill was not included in the data since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment survey was conducted in the calendar week that contains the 12th of the month, which was before the reopening of the paper mill. However, even if it did, it would not have made up for this large loss.

The State economy struggled to sustain a recovery. Although the State Index continued to expand on a monthly year-over-year basis, its growth rate had declined two month in a row. Four of the five component indicators fell down from prior month, while all five component indicators still remained up compared to where they stood a year earlier. It may reflect recent developments in the data that economic recovery in the State may be losing steam. The struggling labor market is particularly worrisome. The number of employed residents contracted two months in a row on a month-to-month basis. Its year-over-year growth rate has steadily declined for the second month in a row as well. The increasing number of the unemployed in the State, coupled with falling home prices, would dampen consumer confidence.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.

In May, signs of economic slowdown spread to the broader economy not only in the Coos County but also in the State. The Coos County Index, although it remained up from prior year, slowed in its year-over-year growth rate for the third consecutive month. All five component indicators exhibited slowing growth or accelerating decline. The manufacturing sector cooled down after leading the county economy out of recession; the year-over-year growth rate of industrial electricity sales was steadily reduced to 0.6% from its peak in last December when it marked 8.4% growth. The rebounding hospitality sector appeared to be facing a tougher fight as well; average Saturday traffic counts had fallen at a faster clip last three months, while the year-over-year growth rate of estimated rooms and meals revenue edged down two months in a row. The labor market never fully recovered from the past recession; the number of employed residents kept falling on a year-over-year basis.

The State economy followed suit. For the first time since August 2010, the State Index slowed in its monthly year-over-year growth rate. Like in the case of the Coos economy, all five component indicators showed signs of slowing growth. Contrary to what the decline in the state’s unemployment rate may suggest, the rebounding labor market may have hit the ceiling in May. The unemployment rate declined in May not because more residents found a job, but because some job seekers dropped out of the labor force and thus no longer counted as unemployed. The labor force contracted partially because some residents quit seeking employment due to gloomy job prospects, and perhaps because some people in the public sector retired for concerns over the ongoing collective bargaining issues. In fact, the number of employed residents, after seasonal adjustment, declined from prior month for the first time since the end of the past recession. There has been mounting evidence that the economy may be shifting into lower gear in both Coos County and the State of New Hampshire. Continued troubles in the housing sector are another reason for concern.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.

In April, the Coos economy continued to show signs of slowing recovery. Although the Index advanced twelve straight months on a monthly year-over-year basis, its growth rate has slowed two consecutive months. Slowing growth was felt on individual sectors as well. The manufacturing sector, which had been one of the few brightest spots of the Coos Economy since the Great Recession, saw its growth rate edging down steadily since November on a monthly year-over-year basis. The rebounding hospitality sector, while doing better than prior year, appeared to have reached a plateau. Average Saturday traffic counts retreated two straight months on a monthly year-over-year basis, while the growth rate of the estimated rooms and meals revenue remained flat since October. High gas prices, along with an increasingly probable double dip in the real estate market, threatened the fledgling economic recovery.

The State economy fared better. All five component indicators remained up from a year earlier. Its growth rate had inched up steadily since August. The labor market continued to improve; the number of employed residents kept climbing up at a faster clip on a monthly year-over-year basis. However, there were some preliminary signs of slowing in the manufacturing and hospitality industry. Growth in industrial electricity sales appeared to have reached a plateau since last year on a monthly year-over-year basis. Similarly, growth in average Saturday traffic counts had steadily declined since last year on a monthly year-over-year basis. High energy costs may be taking a toll on the economy. The struggling housing sector, which appeared to head for deeper troubles, is another reason for concern.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.

In March, although continuing its long-term course to recovery, the Coos economy grew at a rate slower than it did in February. More telling may be easing growth in the manufacturing and hospitality industry, both of which had been an engine of the county’s economic recovery since the end of recession. The year-over-year growth rate of industrial electricity sales had slowed steadily since November. A similar pattern was observed in estimated rooms and meals revenues. Furthermore, the average Saturday vehicle traffic counts dipped below the level seen a year ago for the first time since September. The labor market continued to show a mixed picture. Number of employed residents was down from where it was a year ago, while estimated wages and salaries were up.

The State economy continued its course to recovery. All five component indicators remained up from a year earlier. Its growth rate had inched up steadily since August. The improving labor market led economic recovery in March. Both number of employed residents and estimated wages and salaries grew at an increasing pace. On a more cautionary note, though, there were some signs of slowing in the manufacturing and hospitality industry. Industrial electricity sales fell from prior month, although it remained up from where it was a year earlier. So did both indicators of the hospitality industry – estimated rooms and meals revenues and average Saturday vehicle traffic counts. It remains to be seen whether they were just a temporary statistical fluke or the beginning of a new slump in the industry. In addition, the struggling housing industry remains a trouble spot of the economy.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.

In February, the Coos economy struggled to stay on course to recovery. Four out of five component indicators fell from prior month, January 2011, although the same number of indicators was up from prior year, February 2010. It indicates that, while the county economy remained on the long-term growth path, recovery would be long and slow. A strong recovery would require a robust rebound in the labor market. In February, number of employed residents continued to fall, while estimated wages and salary disbursements posted a year-over-year gain for the first time since the latest recession. All other sectors – manufacturing and hospitality – remained strong compared to prior year. Both indicators of the hospitality industry – estimated rooms and meals revenues and the average Saturday vehicle traffic counts – kept expanding on a year-over-year basis. As a sign of a rebounding manufacturing sector, industrial electricity sales remained up from a year earlier.

There was little sign of change in the State economy’s strong rebound it’d shown since the last recession. The State Index advanced six months in a row on a year-over-year basis. More impressively, the pace of increase has been on the rise as well. All five component indicators unanimously point up to improving economic conditions. All remained up from where they were a year ago. However, uncertainties around the proposed budget cuts and large layoffs in the state and local governments could impact the recovery down the road. The struggling real estate market remains as a threat to recovery as well.

The real estate market analysis can be found at the end of this report.